Basil’s Blog

The 2008 season is over for the Columbus Catfish. This year, that means they no longer exist. Not as the Catfish, anyway.

The team is moving to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and will sport a new nickname next season.

But this season, fans in Columbus … few that we are … had some good and bad things happen.

Along the way, some franchise records were broken or challenged.

Now, by “franchise record,” we’re talking this franchise in Columbus. Not other teams, like the Columbus RedStixx, Columbus Mudcats, Columbus Astros, or any other Columbus team. And I don’t mean this franchise when it was in Wilmington, North Carolina or Albany, Georgia.

I’m talking this franchise in Columbus. Which means the 2003 South Georgia Waves, and the 2004-2008 Columbus Catfish.

Still, some records were set.

• Henry Wrigley’s 10 triples are best in franchise history.
• Maiko Loyola’s 45 stolen bases ties the franchise record.
• Justin Garcia’s 41 appearances set a franchise record.
• Justin Garcia’s .249 ERA and Austin Hinkle’s .251 beat the old franchise ERA mark of .254, set last season.

Some records were challenged.

• Greg Sexton’s 87 RBIs and 490 at-bats are both good enough to be listed as 2nd most for this franchise (2003-2008).
• Maiko Loyola and Reid Fronk scored 76 runs, tying for 3rd place.
• Greg Sexton had 144 hits, including 32 doubles, both numbers are 3rd best for the franchise.
• Greg Sexton and Reid Fronk played in 124 games. That’s good enough for 5th place.
• Jeremy Hall’s 10 wins puts him at 3rd best total.
• Austin Hinkle’s 13 saves are 4th best.
• Alex Cobb’s 139-2/3 innings is 4th best for the franchise.

Not a bad group of stats.

This was a good team. They had some really good talent.

Individually, some of the Dodgers teams (2003-2006) had individuals who were outstanding, but they didn’t have that special something that makes for a really good team.

Last year’s South Atlantic League champions, a Devil Rays affiliate, didn’t have as many stars as the Dodgers teams, but they had some good players, and they had an excellent team.

This year’s team, also a Rays affiliate, didn’t have quite as many marquee players as last year, and had some rough patches. But they were close, very close, to challenging last year’s team.

The 2008 Columbus Catfish ended the season strong, winning 7 of their last 10, the best in the league over that span. They just couldn’t catch Augusta to make the playoffs.

In the 1st half, the Catfish were 27-42 (.386), 16 games under 500. They did a near-complete turnaround, going 40-26 (.606) in the 2nd half.

This was a good team. They hit some rough spots. There was some inconsistency on the mound. But, as the season wound down, they believed they could win. And did. Augusta’s equally strong finish is the only thing that kept them out of the playoffs.

The Columbus Catfish are no more.

But they went out winners.

The Catfish are moving from Columbus, Georgia, to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season. And they played their final game today — a road game against the Rome Braves. The Catfish won the game, 5-2.

Rome got on the board in the 1st inning, scoring a pair of runs on a walk, a double, a single, and an RBI ground out, taking a 2-0 lead.

The Catfish narrowed the gap in the 2nd inning. RF Quinn Stewart hit the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall, his 8th Catfish home run of the year.

Stewart hit 4 additional home runs for Vero Beach early in the year, before re-joining the Catfish, giving him 12 for the year overall.

In the 4th, LF Stephen Vogt reached on an error to lead off the inning. With 2 outs, 2B Chase Fontaine singled, setting the stage for 1B Henry Wrigley’s 3-run homer.

Wrigley’s 7th home run of the year gave the Catfish a 4-2 lead.

The Catfish added another run in the 6th, on an error by Rome CF C. J. Lee, who dropped what would have been out three on a fly ball by Fontaine. The error allowed Stewart, who had singled, to score, making the score 5-2 in favor of the Catfish.

P Jason Ragan won his first game since July 19th, a string of 2 losses wrapped around 3 no-decisions. Ragan allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out a pair, while walking two. John Baird, Jose Angel Mejias, Kevin Boggan, and Justin Garcia eached pitched an inning of relief, with Garcia getting his 7th save. Rome managed only 2 hits off the Catfish bullpen, which didn’t allow a walk.

Fontaine, Stewart, as well as CF Maiko Loyola each had a pair of hits. Wrigley was the only other Catfish batter to get a hit, but his 3-run homer helped provide the margin of victory.

The win closes out the Catfish existence with 2 wins in a row, and 5 victories in their final 6 games.

The 2008 baseball season is winding down. And the Columbus Catfish are looking to end on a positive note.

On Sunday afternoon, the Catfish beat the Rome Braves, 11-1, evening the series at a game apiece:

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The Columbus Catfish opened the final series of 2008 — and their final series as the Columbus Catfish — with a loss to the Rome Braves.

Rome broke the game open in the 6th inning, taking the first of the 3-game set by a 6-2 score on Saturday night:

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Baseball has left Columbus.

But on a winning note.

In their final game in Columbus, the Columbus Catfish beat the Savannah Sand Gnats (Mets) 9-4 tonight.

The Catfish head to Rome to close out the season, then pack up and head to Bowling Green, Kentucky (population 53,112) to play the 2009 season.

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I screwed up. Again.

I mentioned earlier that the South Atlantic League had three days off between the end of the season and the start of the playoffs.

Why did I say such a thing?

I can’t read. Not well, anyway.

Clear as day, the SAL schedule shows the playoffs starting September 3, not September 5. Game two is September 5, and I guess that’s what I noticed.

Silly me.

Anyway, the Sally League actually took the time to read some posts on the little blog, and wrote me another nice letter.

They corrected my dates, and explained the reasoning for the day off at the end of the season.

The one day off is, of course, for travel. The South Atlantic League has teams stretching from the Great Lakes — the Lake County Captains (formerly the Columbus RedStixx) are in Eastlake, Ohio — to the coast, on the Atlantic Ocean — the Savannah Sand Gnats and Charleston RiverDogs. Lake County’s ball park is 784 miles from Savannah’s. Classic Park (Eastlake, OH) to Golden Park (Columbus) is 831 miles. If those two played, for instance, they’d need plenty of time for travel. Oh, and the Lakewood Blue Claws ride 957 miles to Columbus.

And, yes, they ride. On a bus. Imagine. Just imagine.

So think about that the next time you head to a minor league baseball game.

And if you haven’t gone to a minor league game … well, why not? It’s good, inexpensive, family entertainment. One of the best bargains you’ll find.

Anyway, there’s plenty of reason for a day off. And they have that one day, not the three days I said earlier.

My bad.

With the South Atlantic League leaving Columbus, I won’t get to see my favorite sport after work regularly between April and August.

They might not miss me. But I’ll sure miss them.

The Columbus Catfish held off the Savannah Sand Gnats (Mets) 10-5 tonight, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Despite the win, the Catfish are one game closer to elimination, thanks to Augusta’s 5-1 victory over Hickory tonight.

With tonight’s results, Augusta’s “Magic Number” … and Columbus’ “Tragic Number” … is one. A single Augusta win or Catfish loss gives Augusta the 2nd half division crown. However, if Augusta loses out, and the Catfish win out, the Catfish take the title.

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I got to the ball park tonight, awaiting the game between the Columbus Catfish and the Savannah Sand Gnats (Mets). I fired up the MacBook … and got a shock.

The South Atlantic League says the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) won the second half.

Now, I’m not saying that Augusta won’t win the second half. I’m just saying they haven’t yet won the second half.

Here’s why.

Augusta is 43-21 (.672). The Catfish are 36-25 (.590). They’re 5-1/2 games back … with 5 games left.

So, why do I think they’re still in it?

A couple of reasons, actually.

Augusta has 5 games left, true. Only, they might actually have 6 games left. More about that in a moment.

The Catfish have 5 games left. Except they might have 6 games left. Or 7 games left.

So, let’s say Augusta loses all 5 games. They’d be 43-26 (.623).

And, let’s say the Catfish win all 5 games. They’d be 41-25 (.621).

That still not good enough.

Except…

There’s a suspended game from August 1st, between … get this … Columbus and Augusta. And the Catfish lead that game, 6-5, in the 3rd inning. And, if the Catfish are close enough to cause the game to be completed, and if they win, they’d be 42-25 (.627) and Augusta would be 43-27 (.614).

And that would mean the Catfish win the second half.

Now, will that happen?

Odds are, it won’t. And I realize that.

But, to go ahead and put on their Website that Augusta has won?

You’ve jumped the gun, Sally.

Maybe not by much. But baseball is a game of inches … and numbers.

And, as long as there’s a chance…

Family of Columbus/Phenix City native Adam Coe with one of his two home run balls he hit against the Catfish tonight

Either the Columbus Catfish or the Augusta GreenJackets (Giants) will win the South Atlantic League Southern Division. And Augusta got a lot closer tonight.

The Catfish split a pair of games with the Rome Braves tonight, dropping the first game, 12-3, but picking up the nightcap, 13-5. The split, coupled with Augusta’s win puts their magic number — the number of Augusta wins or Catfish losses to clinch the division for Augusta — at two.

The only good news in game one was for the local players was a local player hitting two home runs. Columbus/Phenix City native Adam Coe, however, plays for Rome.

Game two was all Catfish, with the home team scoring in 5 straight innings.

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The Columbus Catfish finished a 6-game series … with all 6 games played in 4 days, including 5 in a 49-hour period … splitting Sunday’s double header.

The Catfish beat the Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees) 5-1 in the first game, but dropped the second game, 12-4, splitting the series at 3 games apiece.

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